TOC Previously:
"Nigel?" Clark's attention swiveled back to her. "Nigel St. John? Why would he kill Bender?" Clark's hand touched hers, deftly taking the keys away to make his own attempt at opening the door. "What does Nigel, or Luthor, have to gain from killing him?"
Lois took a step back so Clark could access the lock as his question echoed in her mind. Why had they killed Bender? Whose idea was it? Nigel had double-crossed Lex. So was removing Bender part of Nigel's master plan and not necessarily Lex's? No matter whose idea it was, both men were after the same thing - the Kryptonite that was powering Rollie Vale's artificial limb. If Vale didn't escape, what was going to happen to the Kryptonite? She was going to have to find a way to warn Clark without drawing further suspicion.
"Maybe Bender knows too much?" she ventured.
"About what?" Clark opened the door and gestured for her to go first. "Any involvement Bender had with either of them technically ended after Luthor's death. Wouldn't it draw less attention to fire him instead of killing him?"
Instead of entering the condo, Lois turned to take another look at Bender's yacht. Did Bender know something that was worth killing for? All this time she had believed that he had been killed to cover-up bribing the judge. What if there was more to it than that? Was that why Wells had brought her back in time?
"Clark?" Lois turned back toward him, only to find he was already watching her closely. "I have to tell you something. Something important…"
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Ricochet 3/10
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1995
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"You're going to think I'm crazy," Lois warned. For a moment or two she faltered, wanting to tell him the whole truth, but the thought that there might be dire consequences stopped her.
"Go on," Clark urged softly.
"It's about Rollie Vale and Nigel and Lex and…" Lois gestured in the direction of Bender's yacht. "I can't tell you how I know any of this, I wish I could, but-- I just can't, so please don't ask, okay?"
Clark's gaze flickered past her to Bender's yacht. Even in the dim half-light, the war between his worry and curiosity was obvious. After several seconds of hesitation, curiosity won. "All right," he agreed.
Lois moved past him to enter the condo. She sat down on the sofa and hunched forward, bracing her elbows on her knees and clasping her hands together as she tried to think about the best way to explain.
"Tomorrow morning Bender is going to meet with a judge and pay him off to have Rollie Vale given an immediate hearing. Lex and Nigel are going to intercept Vale in transit to the courthouse."
Clark sat down next to her on the sofa, his posture unconsciously mirroring hers. "What does Luthor want with Vale?"
"He has a robotic arm; built using the same technology as that cyborg, Metallo." She saw Clark's mouth tighten and hated that she was dredging up a bad memory for him. "The chunk of Kryptonite that was recovered from Metallo was only half of the sample that the Vales stole from Lex. Rollie's using the other half to power his artificial limb."
"Rollie Vale has Kryptonite?" Clark asked slowly, as if he wasn't sure he had heard her correctly.
"Yes. Lex is obsessed with killing Superman. He's never going to stop trying." Lois looked away, shuddering as she remembered just how close Lex had come to destroying Clark with his quantum disruptor. What if changing the past now made it so that Clark actually died in another year when Lex struck next? Lois pushed away that unpleasant thought.
"So, step one is to keep Lex from freeing Vale," she said, as Clark slowly nodded his agreement. "And we need to find a way to stop them from killing Bender. So you should, uh--." She was barely able to stop herself from blurting out the wrong sequences of words. "You need to get Superman to talk to Bender. He might not believe us, but maybe he would listen to Superman."
"And what about you?" Clark asked.
"What about me?"
"You know their plans, too," he stated, as though this should have been obvious to her.
"Yes, but they don't know that I know." Lois patted his knee in reassurance. "Trust me, my source on this is impeccable and there's no possible way for them to realize that I know anything." Was she touching him too long? She snatched her hand away and watched him anxiously. Please, Clark, she thought, believe me.
Clark pressed his lips together as he thought. "They don't know you're here either," he finally said. "Will you promise to stay here while I go find Superman?"
"Yes." Lois nodded eagerly and held up her right hand. "I swear it. I won't move from this spot." Unless, she amended to herself, Wells came to take her home.
Clark hesitated for a few seconds more and then stood up. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't leave before I get back, okay?"
"I promise."
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Nearly ten minutes passed before Lois saw Superman land on the back of Bender's boat. What had taken him so long? Had he gone looking for Lex? Alerted the authorities that Vale had Kryptonite? Had he delayed to make it look like he'd actually had to find Superman?
He knocked on the door of the boat's cabin and then turned to glance over at the condo. She waved and he nodded in greeting. Lois lifted the binoculars to get a closer look. As Clark began to talk she wished that they had set up the surveillance equipment after all. By the time she got it working now, Clark would be done talking to Bender.
Then again, maybe not. Bender wasn't allowing him entry, so either Clark was having a conversation with himself or Bender was standing on the other side of the closed door. After another minute of Clark alternately knocking and talking, the door opened a crack. She still couldn't see Bender, but Clark leaned closer and his hand gestured toward the West River. Then Clark stepped back and the door opened fully. Bender came out and peered around nervously.
Clark stepped off the boat and onto the dock to untie the boat's moorings. Once the ropes were free, he tossed one onto the boat's deck and the other to Bender, who caught it, his movements still uncertain. There was another exchange between them before Bender reluctantly climbed the ladder to the pilothouse. Clark stood, arms crossed, and watched as the boat slid away. Once Bender was well on his way, Clark turned and started walking toward the condo.
Lois had the door open before he could knock. "Thank you," she told him and stepped back so he could enter.
"You're welcome." He gave her a stiff nod and Lois suppressed a laugh. She had forgotten how formal he had been around her before she knew the truth about Superman.
"Was it hard to convince him?" she asked.
Clark shook his head. "Not too hard. He was already on edge after the visit you and Clark paid him earlier."
"Did he say where he's going?"
"He didn't, but he did promise to contact you tomorrow."
"Thanks." Lois grinned at Clark, feeling immeasurably lighter knowing that her task had been fulfilled. It wouldn't be much longer now before Wells showed up and whisked her back where she belonged.
"I need to be going," Clark said and took a step toward the door. "Clark should be back soon and he asked me to remind you that you promised you wouldn't leave before he returned."
Lois grinned at the absurdity of his words. Sensing that she looked like an idiot for smiling, and because the opportunity to tease him was just too much temptation to resist, she said, "Clark owes me a date. I'm not going anywhere until he pays up."
"A date?" The corners of his mouth twitched in an almost-smile.
"Jealous?" she teased.
His cheeks flushed and he shook his head. "No. I'm, uh, I'm happy for you both. I hope it works out."
"Bet on it," she answered softly, looking him straight in the eye.
Clark blinked and took a step backward as he smoothed one hand nervously over the 'S' on his chest. "I should… go now." His hand fluttered up, as if to imply that he had merely stopped in on his way to somewhere else. He gave her a courteous nod and then left in a rush of red cape and sonic boom.
Lois sat down on the couch again and pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes. "Okay, Wells" she muttered. "Come and get me now."
Outside, in the distance, she heard the foghorn at Glenmorgan Point sound. There was no knock on the door, no polite clearing of the throat, nothing to indicate that HG Wells had arrived.
Lois cleared her throat and tried again. "Mr. Wells?"
There was still no answer and a flicker of worry shot through Lois. What if Wells had nothing to do with this? What if this was Tempus' doing? Once again she considered that Wells likely would have asked, or at least warned her before sending her back in time. Was Tempus gloating somewhere, rubbing his hands together in glee that she was screwing up her future?
Had she screwed up her future?
She flopped to lie down on the sofa and stared at the ceiling. There was a shimmering reflection from the aquarium and she found its random, shifting pattern soothing. A minute passed and the foghorn sounded again. Lois closed her eyes and wondered where Bender had gone and if he really would call the next day.
If he did call, would she still be here to talk to him?
Lois fervently hoped not.
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Clark snuck another glance at the clock on the wall. He had been gone for far too long - it was now nearly two o'clock in the morning. Yes, Lois had promised to stay at the marina, but that didn't mean that she'd actually do it.
How in the world had she known about the plot to kill Bender? Or, for that matter, how had she known about Vale and his little stash of Kryptonite? Where had she really gone instead of the police station that evening? In less than two hours she had cut her hair, changed her clothes, lost her coat, and uncovered a secret conspiracy involving her suddenly not-so-dead former fiance. Despite his surroundings, Clark couldn't help a smile. Only Lois could achieve so much in so little time.
"Superman?"
His thoughts instantly returned to the present situation and he quelled his amusement as he answered the warden. "Yes?"
"We now have Vale in maximum security and will deny any motions for a hearing until after Lex Luthor is apprehended."
"And the Kryptonite?" Clark asked.
"We can't compel Vale's cooperation on that one. The best we can do is restrict his activities to his cell and ensure that no one has access to him until the lawyers have a chance to review our options. I'm sure you can appreciate that there really isn't any kind of precedent for this situation."
Clark nodded. "I understand. Thank you." He shook the warden's hand and quickly left the prison.
A cursory check of Lois' apartment showed that no one was home. So she might actually have stayed at the marina. Much more likely was the option that she had stolen a boat and was currently pursuing Bender up the river. With Lois, there was no such thing as a safe bet.
Clark returned to the marina and saw that there was still a light on inside the condo. A quick peek through the wall revealed that Lois was there, stretched out on the sofa. He changed into street clothes and entered the condo, shutting the door softly behind him.
"Lois?" he half-whispered, not wanting to wake her if she was truly asleep. She made no answer so he went to the condo's bedroom to find a blanket for her. He returned to the living room and was just starting to cover her with the blanket when she stirred.
"Clark?" she mumbled. "You home now?"
"Yes," he answered, smiling at her use of the word "home".
Her head lifted a fraction and she squinted at him. "Clark? What time is it?"
He crouched in front of the sofa, savoring the opportunity to see her so drowsy and vulnerable - and loving the way his name sounded when her voice was slurred with sleep.
"Two o'clock," he answered, pulling the blanket a little higher. Unable to resist, he smoothed away a lock of hair from her forehead and wondered why she had cut it.
Her hand flopped around a few times before making contact with his wrist. "Never believe what happened."
"What happened?" he asked.
"Saw you…" She smiled dreamily at him. "Mmm too tired make love. Jus' take me to bed."
"What?" Clark froze, absolutely certain he had heard that one wrong.
Lois exhaled, a sound that was half-sigh, half-giggle. "Make it up to you in the morning. Promise." Her eyelids slid closed and her hand dropped from his wrist.
Clark reluctantly stood up. His heart beat faster as he argued with himself over whether he had heard her correctly. He glanced at the bedroom and then moved to sit in the chair near the window.
If she said anything else in her sleep, he wanted to be sure he caught it.
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1998
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"Are you hungry?" Clark asked after they had come inside the townhouse. They were standing in the kitchen and he gestured at the refrigerator. "I could make something, if you are."
"I, uh--." Lois stammered. She felt more than a little uncertain around this new Clark/Superman hybrid. The truth was she had been too excited about their upcoming date to bother with lunch and now the thought of sharing a meal with him was even more intimidating. Flustered because he was still wearing the suit, she found herself speaking compulsively. "Actually, we were supposed to have dinner together tonight. Do you remember our first date? The Pearl Jam concert?"
Clark shook his head. "We didn't go to the concert."
"You had an emergency?" she guessed.
"No, uh, something else came up and Perry made us go on a stakeout instead."
"Oh." Lois felt strangely let down. It wasn't that she much cared for Pearl Jam. But Clark had gone to so much trouble to set it up - and she had wasted hours daydreaming about having his undivided attention. Now that she actually had it, she felt anxious and tense -- and disappointed.
"If it makes you feel any better, you're not missing out. We ate Chinese take-out and you got sick."
"Oh, well, good to know," she said and cracked her knuckles. "So, uh, obviously, we did eventually go on a date though, right?"
"A couple of weeks later," he answered. "But that's all I should probably tell you." Clark leaned back against the counter, his arms crossed over his chest and his gaze fixed firmly in her direction.
Lois looked away, feeling self-conscious that he was practically staring at her. "So," she said, in an effort to keep the awkwardness of a silence at bay, "You said that you've jumped time before…" She let the statement hang, hoping to draw him into a more detailed explanation.
"Yes, but we've only gone back in time, never forward."
We. She risked a glance at him, only to find herself mesmerized by the bulge of his biceps. Superman! That was Superman, standing not four feet away from her. She wanted to ask him for details, wanted to know the particulars of time travel, but found that she was tongue-tied by the realization that she was currently standing in her future kitchen, with her future husband.
And he was definitely staring at her.
"What?" she snapped at him. "Do I have something stuck in my teeth?"
Clark quickly looked away. How could he explain to her that this was just as strange and frustrating to him as it was to her? His wife was gone; replaced by this skittish, suspicious earlier version of Lois. What had happened to his Lois? Had Wells swapped them? Or was this something Tempus had done? Either way, why was it happening? Then it dawned on Clark that he was still wearing the suit. Lois was clearly uncomfortable around him; his current choice of clothing couldn't be making things easier.
"There's some Thai take-out in the fridge from last night," he told her as he moved to leave the kitchen. "Why don't you warm that up and I'll go get changed?"
He zipped upstairs and changed into sweat bottoms and a t-shirt. When he returned to the kitchen, Lois was opening and closing drawers in a frustrated search.
"What can I help you find?" he asked.
She jumped, clearly startled by his return. "Silverware. Where do you keep it?"
Clark opened a drawer on the opposite side of the room from her. "We keep it in here."
She frowned at him as she crossed the kitchen to get a utensil. The microwave beeped and Clark, grateful for something to do, took the food out. He carried it to the table, where she had already set out two plates. Lois, somewhat grudgingly he felt, joined him, holding out a fork for him as she sat down.
"Thanks," he said quietly. Clark couldn't help sneaking glances at her as they ate. He knew she had lost some weight over the past couple of years, but he had forgotten how curvy she had been. That should have been his first clue, he admonished himself. He should have realized the moment he touched her that she wasn't his wife.
Lois picked at her food, barely tasting it as she tried to think of something to say to him. It had been overwhelming to see him in the suit, but it seemed even worse now that he was dressed in sweat bottoms and a t-shirt that clung to him in ways that made her imagination run wild. He wasn't wearing shoes, just socks, and it felt overwhelmingly intimate to see him dressed like this when they were totally alone together in his --
their -- kitchen.
Good god, what was she supposed to say to him? What did she normally say to him? Did they really sit here, night after night, and talk about banal things? How could she sit across from Superman in a tight t-shirt and talk about the weather? It was that much more irritating that Clark clearly was unwilling to discuss important topics like how she found out he was Superman and what had happened over the past three years. He had been somewhat vague on the whole time travel issue, too, but at least he had offered up little nuggets of information that surely deserved a follow-up question or two.
"So," she started, trying not to sound too eager for an answer. "Who is Tempus? Is that the right name? The other guy you thought might have brought me here?"
"Tempus," Clark affirmed and leaned back in his chair. "He's…" His voice trailed off and he stood up, taking his plate over to the sink to rinse it off. How could explain Tempus to her without giving too much away? "He's from the future." Clark watched as the remnants of his dinner circled down into the garbage disposal. "He's determined to destroy whatever it is that we build."
"Utopia?" Lois prompted. "You said we build an ideal society, right?"
Clark turned around and made a helpless shrug. "Not really us, but our children. Although…"
"What?" Lois asked. "Although what? Do we have kids? It seems awfully quiet here. Too quiet for kids, you know?"
"We don't have children. We--, uh. Well, we just don't."
He sounded upset and Lois' eyes went wide as she pieced it together. "You mean we can't have kids, don't you?"
Clark slumped back against the sink and looked away.
"Why?" Lois pressed him. "Is it me or you?"
He didn't answer, but his defeated posture spoke for him. "It's you, isn't it? Or it's us, I guess. A Kryptonian isn't compatible with someone from Earth, right?"
"Maybe that's why," he said softly. "Maybe you're here so that you don't marry me; so that you can have children with someone else."
"What?" Lois asked, feeling strangely saddened as that picture of her and Clark at their wedding flashed in her mind. She was never going to have that. She was going to lose Clark - and Superman. It was beyond unfair to have been given this glimpse of the future only to have it snatched away again. A little boil of panic started inside her that she might never get to make small talk with him in this kitchen where the silverware was kept in the least-likely drawer.
"Or maybe that's what Tempus wants - for us to think that," she suggested hopefully.
Clark gave her a thin-lipped smile, obviously not reassured. "Maybe." After an uneasy silence, he spoke again, "Look, it's almost midnight and I'm sure you must be tired. Why don't we call it a night?"
Clark led Lois upstairs, his movements slow as he wondered if this was the last time he'd ever be this close to her. What if she went back now and everything changed? He'd never have the past three years, never have Lois. He wanted to hold her and beg her not to leave him, but that would be selfish. How could he deny Lois the opportunity to have children of her own?
Their bedroom door was open, his jacket still on the bed from where she had removed it before he was called away. It had been nothing - a false alarm - and he was choked with regret that he had left her. He should have stayed - would have stayed if he had known. Right now he could have been lying in that bed with his wife in his arms instead of showing her which drawers were hers.
"The bathroom is through there," he pointed at the door. "Your toothbrush has the red handle. The towels are in the cupboard next to the mirror." Clark looked around their room, trying to memorize every detail even though he knew it wouldn't matter once she went back.
"I'm sleeping in here?" she asked, with that same half-panicked look in her eye that she'd had most of the evening.
"It's your bed," he tried to explain. "I just figured you'd be more comfortable in here." His old bed was in their guest room and he didn't want to upset her further by asking her to sleep in what she would consider his bed. "I'll be in the room across the hall."
"Oh, sure, okay, thanks." Lois opened one of her drawers and looked at the lingerie inside. This was like being asked to use a stranger's things. How was she supposed to wear any of this stuff when it was entirely possible that Clark had, at some point, taken it off of her?
"Well, uh, good night, Lois." Clark turned away and shut the door softly behind him. Would she still be there in morning? What would tomorrow look like without Lois by his side?
You'll never know the difference, he told himself.
Unable to resist, he peeked through the wall. Lois had picked up the framed picture that sat on her dresser and was looking at it. The candid shot had been taken by Jimmy - them kissing in the newsroom after the fiasco with Leigh-Anne Stipanovik and her briefly "super" son, Jessie. Clark looked away, unable to bear the thought that he would never have that kiss.
Please, he thought, don't let me know the difference.
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End 3/10
